Summary: TEHRAN (FNA)- The results of an international research
showed that an ancient seagrass holds the secrets of the oldest living
organism on earth.

It's big, it's old and it lives under the sea - and now
an international research collaboration with The University of Western
Australia's Ocean's Institute has confirmed that an ancient
seagrass holds the secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth.

Ancient giant Posidonia oceanica reproduces asexually, generating
clones of itself. A single organism - which has been found to span up to
15 kilometres in width and reach more than 6,000 metric tones in mass -
may well be more than 100,000 years old.

Researchers analyzed 40 meadows across 3,500 kilometers of the
Mediterranean sea. Computer models helped demonstrate that the clonal
spread mode of Posidonia oceanica, which as all other seagrasses can
reproduce both sexually and asexually, allows them to spread and
maintain highly competent clones over millennia, whereas even the most
competent genotypes of organisms that can only reproduce sexually are
lost at every generation.

"Understanding why those particular genomes have been so
adaptable to a broad range of environmental conditions for so long is
the key to some interesting future research," Professor Duarte
said.

Seagrasses are the foundation of key coastal ecosystems but have
waned globally for the past 20 years. Posidonia oceanica meadows are now
declining at an estimated rate of five per cent annually.

"The concern is that while Posidonia oceanica meadows have
thrived for millennia their current decline suggests they may no longer
be able to adapt to the unprecedented rate of global climate
change."

The genus Posidonia occurs only in the Mediterranean and Australian
waters.

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